Last chapter was my longest one yet, I believe. And this one is a good 1000 words shorter.

Mount Justice

October 16, 16:01 EDT

The team was gathered in the mission room, watching on the screen a transmission of the Justice League fighting an unknown alien force in space. They watched as the force took out two Green Lanterns, Superman, Captain Marvel, Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, Icon, and Batman. The transmission cut out as soon as Batman was taken out. A new feed started with Zatara.

"Red Tornado, did you-"

"Yes, Zatara. We saw. Extraterrestrial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial defense measures."

"Affirmative. See you in the field." The feed cut out.

Red Tornado turned to the team. "I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you."

"We stand ready." Aqualad said confidently, looking at his friends and teammates.

Red Tornado left, leaving the teenagers behind in the cave. They stood, watching on the screens as the Justice League battled against the invading alien forces. One by one, the Justice League fell. The team stood stoically as Red Tornado called, letting them know he was the last of the League right before he himself fell.

"Looks like its up to us now." Quicksilver muttered.

"So what are we waiting for a theme song?" Superboy snapped.

"A strategy. Earth's weapons are ineffective against these forces. And it has been tragically clear that a direct attack will not succeed." Aqualad looked to Robin.

"Checking satellite imagery." He pulled up the images on the holographic computer. Red covered the globe. "Here's where the aliens are now."

"This one get lost?" Superboy pointed to one in the middle of the ocean.

"That's Superman's Fortress of Solitude. The power inside of it must've attracted a scout ship."

"Then we will go to that ship."

"Yeah, break it down and build more."

Everyone ran to the bioship, boarding and flying in tense silence. They arrived in record time, making it to the frozen tundra. They found the alien ship and got out, hiding behind the snowy banks. Miss Martian flew in stealth mode up to the ship, using her telekinesis to rip off the communications device. The ship fell to the ground once she disabled the propulsion.

Artemis jumped out from the snow, arrow ready. She shot the arrow at the door, sealing the aliens inside. The team jumped into action, attacking the ship to rip off the weapon on top to use themselves. During the ensuing battle, Wolf got shot by a blast, disintegrating. The team took a second to mourn before carrying on, Miss Martian integrating the weapon into the bioships biomatrix.

Suddenly, two more enemy ships appeared, flying towards them. Aqualad yelled to Miss Martian to open fire but all weapons were down. Artemis told the team she had it covered, telling them to get inside. She took the ships down, running to the bioship with her bow ready.

That's when she was blasted, being disintegrated herself.

"Artemis!"

"Get inside, all of you." Aqualad commanded, taking the ship out.

The team solemnly got inside, Miss Martian sobbing as she flew. Superboy glared out the window, Kid Flash had his head in his arms and Quicksilver his arms wrapped around his knees, chin resting on top of his legs. Robin stared blankly forward.

"There will be time to mourn later." Aqualad stood up, addressing his team. "Now we have a job to do. Defend the Earth and ensure Artemis' sacrifice was not in vain."

"Back to the cave?"

"The Hall of Justice. The human race must know there are still heroes defending them. There is still hope."

The team showed up to the Hall just in time to take out three alien ships, landing before the US air force. Aqualad spoke to the leader, telling him they were there to help. They went into the Hall of Justice and Miss Martian started crying over her uncle's statue before she leapt back, using her powers to lift the statue to reveal the real Manhunter beneath.

M'gann, check his mind. Make sure it is really him.

It is him. That is my uncle.

"But we saw you get disintegrated." Quicksilver glared. "You and the whole League."

"Yes, I remember. But, I cannot remember how I survived. Or, how I arrived here." Manhunter muttered.

"Maybe you were density shifting when the beams hit you, passing through you?"

"Scrambling your brains along the way."

"My mind is clouded. I feel certain I had something important to tell you."

Kid Flash smacked his own forehead.

Hello, Wally. Come on!

The team went outside and Robin scanned the ship.

I knew it. Its giving off zeta beams. The same stuff that powers our zeta tubes. That thing doesn't disintegrate. It teleports. That means...Artemis is alive!

Maybe, but-

No maybes, they're all alive!

The aliens came down and opened fire, hitting the bioship in the process before Miss Martian could camouflage it. She fell down, saying that didn't feel like a teleport. Everyone ran inside to the inner sanctum of the Hall, running to the zeta tubes in there. The team was debating whether to send the soldiers through first when the aliens started firing and the leader told the team they were an asset that was needed so Martian Manhunter started to authorize the transport.

Quicksilver looked over and saw a beam heading towards Manhunter. "Look out!" He  tackled the Martian out of the way and in doing so, got hit by the beam.

Mount Justice

October 16, 16:21 EDT

<"It was an accident. No, no! Stay away from her! Don't touch her! I'll kill you! Sister!">

"-tro." Pietro's eyes snapped open and he gasped, noticing that he no longer was in the dream like world he had just been in. He looked up to see  Red Tornado hovering over him. The android, upon noticing that the teen was responsive, turned away. "He is awake."

<"What happened?"> Pietro asked, looking at the disarray his friends were in as they were all sitting up off tables similar to the one he was on. <"Why does it look like we got our asses handed to us?">

"Pietro, you are speaking in Sokovian. We can't understand you." Batman told the boy.

Pietro cleared his throat. "Sorry. What happened? Why does my head feel like it is going to explode?"

"Try to remember. What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in. What you didn't know was it was a train for failure exercise. No matter what the team did, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still you were aware that nothing was real, including the deaths of the entire Justice League."

"That is why you hardly grieved, even when Wolf was disintegrated before your eyes. All that changed when Artemis died. Although consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise. Her subconscious took control, making all of you forget, too."

"I'm  - I'm so sorry." M'gann looked at everyone.

"This isn't her fault." Conner cried out. "Why didn't you stop the exercise?"

"We tried. But M'gann had a death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis and Pietro, who should've awoken upon their deaths, were so convinced they had passed they slipped into comas."

Pietro tightened his fists, glaring at the ground. <"It wasn't real.">

"I realized I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian from within. But upon entering the reality, I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was...too much...noise to think clearly. The deaths of Quicksilver, Aqualad, and Superboy helped. But only when the mother ship exploded and Robin and Kid Flash were silenced did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose, to shock M'gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent. My apologies. I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous. So damaging."

<"It wasn't real, it wasn't real, it wasn't real."> Pietro kept muttering to himself.

"Are you alright, Pietro?" Kaldur asked, stepping towards the meta teen.

Pietro looked up, eyes burning. <"I just watched my worst fears and memories come true over and over again as I was stuck in a coma. I held my sister's body in my arms as she blamed me for her death. No, I am not okay."> He took a step back, breathing in deeply. "I will be alright."

M'gann cried in Captain Marvel's arms as everyone looked at the ground, Red Tornado,  Manhunter,  and Batman talking quietly in the corner. Pietro pushed himself off the table and started to walk out of the cavern.

"Where are you going?" Robin asked, his voice raspy.

Pietro stopped in his tracks, turning to look over his shoulder at the concerned looks on his friend's faces. <"I need...I can't...I need to go.">

"Uh, what?" Wally asked, scratching the back of his head.

"I said I need some air. Being dead is...not my cup of tea." Pietro turned and ran to the zeta tubes, punching in the coordinates to Metropolis before running out. He sprinted around the city for an hour before stopping in a park, hands on his knees as he bent in half. Standing up straight, he threw his arms out to the side and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Quite dramatic, wouldn't you say?" Pietro whirled around to see his sister lowering down on her hex, landing on the grass next to him. She took one look at him and frowned. "'tro, what's wrong?"

Pietro engulfed her in a hug, pulling her tight to his chest. "I love you, Wanda."

She hugged him back with a confused look on her face. "I love you too, you know this." Pulling out of the hug, Wanda took the sides of Pietro's face in her hands. "What is going on? Why are you freaking out?"

Pietro avoided her eyes. "Its...I...I had a nightmare. You...you died and I was powerless to save you."

Wanda stared at him for a second longer before nodding. "Well, I'm here. I'm alive. And you are not powerless. You are doing your part to ensure our protection and our reunion."

Pietro gave her a wobbly smile. "They think you're a mole."

Wanda snorted. "What? Why?"

"I may have planted the idea in their heads due to your behaviors..." Pietro shrugged. "To distract from me. It worked. They are now collecting evidence that you work for Batman."

Wanda chuckled, elbowing her twin. "You are bad, Pietro."

He gave her a tight smile. "I should get back to the mountain, they will probably be wondering where I am by now."

Wanda nodded, squeezing his arm. "Be careful."

"You too, sestra." Pietro kissed her forehead. He took off running to the zeta tube in Metropolis,  keying in the cave before he appeared back in the mountain. Walking back to where the training took place and finding it empty, Pietro made his way to the lounge to find the other six sitting in silence.  They looked up at him when he entered and he paused in the doorway. "What's happening?"

"Pietro...how come you never told us you have a sister?"